Dried Fruit

The "alternative" is the addition of oat bran.

It is very easy to overcook pork chops. In this recipe,you can first sauté them until brown and then add a little broth to maintain their moisture. Open a bottle of Gamay Beaujolais to have with dinner.

This Swiss staple known as Birchermüesli can be a healthful breakfast or snack. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.

This "stuffing" has a soft, custard-like texture and should not be baked inside a bird.

In this beautiful main course, served at Le Bec-Fin in Philadelphia, a mixture of dried apricots, raisins, mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach is the surprise filling.

A real special-occasion entrée. Rich Muscovy duck breasts, sold at specialty foods stores, are larger and meatier than others.

This dessert traditionally should have twelve different fruits to represent the Apostles. But as long as you have a good variety, it will be delicious.

In this pie, dried cherries, cherry preserves and fragrant spices accent crisp green apples.

Maple syrup was used by the Ojibwa tribe for roasting wild game. Here it goes into a terrific side dish that includes squash, another Native American staple.

Carrot cakes have been a part of American baking for years, and they remain a favorite dessert in the heartland. This version has a hint of orange from the juice and peel and lots of the rich cream cheese frosting that everyone expects (and loves). Thin orange peel strips make a pretty garnish.

Here's a colorful and creative pie: Apricots, which flourish in California, Hawaiian pineapple and Oregon cranberries come together in a filling that offers a terrific balance of the exotic and the traditional. It's good with vanilla ice cream.

These irresistible treats are filled with dried apricots, figs and cherries as well as dates and walnuts, and are topped with a cream cheese frosting.

This dish is even better served over couscous.